Dirty Pretty Things
by emaximilliana
Summary: Bella Swan has just landed the role of a lifetime starring on a hit TV show with Jacob Black, Angela Webber, Rosalie and Jasper Hale, and Edward Cullen. Will Bella be able to make it in Hollywood? Or at the very least, survive her cast mates?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and I'm OK with that.**

**Dirty Pretty Things**  
**Prologue**

_Panic_. _Anxiety. Fright. Fear. Trepidation_.

My inner thesaurus rattled off the words in my head. Nothing seemed to fit. Then, something clicked.

_Dismay. Yes, that seemed perfect, _I thought silently. _I am dismayed._

Dismay worked for me, which only proved just how strange I was.

Most girls wouldn't be dismayed as they stepped onto the sound stage of Dirty Pretty Things, HBO's hit show that chronicled the lives of underachieving young adults in Los Angeles.

Most girls would be thrilled. After all, the show had been on the air for only one season and yet it had gained a following similar to N*sync when they were in their prime. Sure, the storylines were edgy and attention grabbing, but the show's cast of young gorgeous Hollywood starlets helped the show go off the chart on the viewer ratings.

Most girls would be hyperventilating with excitement at the thought of being the newest cast member on Dirty Pretty Things, while I was trying very hard not to hyperventilate from terror.

I never really was like most girls.

* * *

_So, not only is this a new story, but it's my first fanfiction story ever! Now I hate it when people start stories with a short prologue and here I am doing the same. Horrible, I know. Anyways, the cast list and more information on this story can be found on my profile. I hope you stick with this and enjoy a new spin on an amazing book and movie. Look for the first official (and much longer!) chapter to be up sometime later today...  
Always,  
Eden_


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. And I'm still OK with that.**

**Dirty Pretty Things  
Chapter One- Bella's Point of View **

"It's Erin. Just Erin. Think of me like Cher or Madonna. I'm a one-named kinda girl. That's all I need." I proclaimed in a singsong voice.

I took a drag off my cigarette and blew the smoke in Rosalie Hale's face. She started to cough violently and I almost winced. Maybe I blew a little too much smoke. Nevertheless, I knew that I was to stay on track with my lines until the director yelled cut. Besides, with how sweet Rosalie had been to me, I was more than happy to blow a little smoke in her face.

"Oh, please forgive me, I've got a terrible smoking problem, but, alas! It's the price I have to pay for cancer. After all, I'm looking for a way out of this world, although cancer probably won't be my quickest option. Wouldn't you say so, Megan?" I flicked the gathering ash off the end of the cigarette onto the faux fur accent rug for dramatic effect.

Rosalie's overly made up eyes narrowed on the blackened spot the ash had created. Taking a long drag on the cigarette, I feigned boredom.

"Is that absolutely necessary? Sure, it's an ugly rug, but my father doesn't like it when I make a mess. And, since you're my guest, your mess is my mess." Rosalie said in a clipped voice.

I hadn't spent much time with Rosalie, but I was already starting to notice her 'Megan Love' voice was a few octaves higher than the Rosalie Hale voice I'd witness her use in interviews and when she was talking with others on set. Others meaning not me. Never me. I was the new girl, in her eyes, unworthy of acknowledgement.

"So sorry. It'll never happen again." I whispered huskily and unceremoniously dropped the cigarette butt to the floor. I watched it flicker and, raising one stiletto heel, snuffed the butt out with one stomp.

"CUT!" the director, Laurent Gathegi, yelled and turned to his assistant who was furiously taking notes. "That's a wrap, everyone. Make sure you've got your schedules in order. If one of you shows up late on Monday I don't think I'll be planning any more weekends off." Todd warned, menacingly. He jumped off his high canvas-backed chair and scurried away, a whole entourage in tow.

After his departure, Rosalie shrugged and wandered off without so much as a goodbye, talking on her Blackberry as soon as her publicist handed it to her.

Everyone around seemed to hurry off as well, as if what they were doing were the most important thing in the world. It was strange, but I'd gotten used to it. No matter how wonderful you did, encouragement was rarely offered. In fact, the only time people commented on a scene you'd just done was to criticize it.

_Isabella Swan, you were amazing. What a magnificent job!_ I inwardly told myself. I laughed out loud at my inner cheering as I walked to my dressing room. The beauty of a soundstage was that I had a dressing room instead of a trailer, for the most part. Some scenes were shot on location in various surrounding environments in Los Angeles, but the majority of my time was spent in my dressing room.

It was there where I went to now, throwing myself on my couch once I was inside. It had been a long day. No, it had been a long month. I couldn't remember the last time I'd breathed.

It seemed unreal that less than a month ago I had landed the role of 'Erin' on Dirty Pretty Things, arguably the most popular show on television at the moment. My first casting, with the director from hell, Laurent Gathegi, no less, had taken place in this very studio. The girl that had been cast for the role of 'Erin' before me had been dropped because her personal life was a little too similar to 'Erin's'. At the taping for her first scene she showed up stoned and the network scrambled to find an adequate replacement on short notice.

I had auditioned at the open casting call on a whim, maybe because I was reminiscent of my high school production days, or maybe because I needed a way to pay the rent, fast. Either way, it was a long twelve hours before I was told that I would be the new 'Erin'.

Sure, it was a little up in the air. After all, 'Erin' still didn't have a last name. The network promised it was because they hadn't decided on whose long-lost sister she'd be yet, and not because they planned on killing her off in the first episode.

I didn't care. I had made enough money for the first episode that I was able to move to a simple apartment near the Hollywood Hills. Sure, it was probably the smallest residence out of everyone on the cast, but it was clean and didn't have any neighbors threatening to kill each other in Spanish like my old place did.

It was close to the studio where the show was shot and far from the diner where I worked prior to being cast. No way did I want to run into any of my old 'patrons'. With their greasy hair and pit-strained V-necks, I was anxious to put as much distance between them and me as possible. Sure, I was letting go of my 'roots' a little, but said roots were never the ones I wanted. Which was why I couldn't be happier than I was now. It was just a shame that happiness was so lonely.

* * *

Pounding. My head was pounding.

No, wait. The door. It was knocking at the door.

Whenever I slept during the day, I always woke up disoriented. It didn't matter that I'd had to film my scenes mostly at night, my body refused to grow accustomed to sleeping during the day.

I was vaguely aware that there was drool on my chin and my long brown hair that the make-up artist had designed to look 'artfully tousled' was now a bird's nest. I didn't think to fix my appearance. Besides, it was probably just be a wardrobe stylist coming to retrieve my character's outfit I had yet to take off. Since my first episode involved me puking on a street corner and taking a line of coke off a bathroom floor, I went to the door and opened it widely in one fluid motion without thinking of how I might appear to my visitor.

"Wow, I really do have bad timing."

I recognized the voice. It was Angela Weber, one of the only actresses on the show that hadn't been totally ignoring me. I felt a smile come to my face and took in her appearance as my sleep filled eyes adjusted to consciousness.

Angela was only 20, but had managed in star in countless feature films. She'd played a teenage princess trying to lead a normal life, a murdering cheerleader, and even a stripper with a heart of gold. It was her role as the stripper that accounted for short, light blonde hair. She'd told me once while we were between filming scenes that her naturally golden blonde hair was halfway down her back for most of her life. After her stripper role, it was cut into a short bob and dyed nearly platinum. At the moment, her hair was in a side-parted bob and flat-ironed straight. It was that hair that was most affiliated her with, along with her bright blue eyes and small 5'2 frame. Standing next to Angela, even though I'm an average 5'7, I felt like a giant.

Angela's face fell as she realized she'd woken me up. "Seriously, I didn't mean to bother you. I'm so sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. I needed to wake up anyways." I interrupted, running a hand through my hair. I sighed in relief when my hand didn't get stuck in the knots.

"Really? 'Cause you might need your energy." Angela said, biting her lower lip.

It was then when I notice her attire. She was wearing a pair of tight white trousers, a loose light blue halter, and a pair of strappy gladiator sandals. It was a simple outfit, but from what I knew of Angela, it was most definitely expensive.

"Energy? Did Laurent call for us to shoot more scenes?"

"Um… it's the taping, for The View. Remember? They want to interview the 'hottest cast on television'. Edward will be there, since his character is returning. The network wanted to introduce the fans to you… Is any of this ringing a bell?" Angela looked worried and I didn't have the strength to try and appease her.

"It's a little hazy." I admitted.

"Oh, Bella. You know they fired the girl before you for being a total stoner. And I know we aren't that good of friends- yet, but if your stoned, you really need to consider what that'll do to your career…"

"Angela! I'm not stoned. Just tired. But, I remember the interview." That seemed to make Angela calmer.

"Great! Awesome! Sorry about the stoner comment." She winced a little at her words.

"It's OK. I promise I'm not on drugs. How much time do I have to get ready?" I asked, glancing at the clock. It was almost one in the afternoon.

Angela laughed nervously. "Um… about that. The taping starts at three, we've got to be there for hair and make-up by two, and it's about ten miles away which translates to about forty five minutes given LA traffic, so…"

"So, I'll wash my face, change into my jeans and we'll be good to go. I'll meet you in the parking lot in five, OK?" I tried to ignore the shocked and worried expression on Angela's face as she nodded mutely and I shut the door.

The time crunch would help me. If I didn't have the chance to think about being on national television, than I wouldn't hyperventilate. I remembered when I was first told about the interview, about two weeks ago. I was barely settling into my life on the show and had completely forgotten.

The plan was for the hosts of The View to interview the cast- Rosalie, her twin brother Jasper, Angela, Angela's ex and a fellow cast member Jacob Black, and the returning fan favorite Edward Cullen. I didn't own a television before joining the show so I was a little in the dark about Edward's cult-like following. However, Angela had brought me up to speed in one of my first days of meeting her. Edward Cullen's character, Rob, had left after season one to 'find himself'. We had just completed five episodes of season two, but apparently his faithful fans had petitioned to have him return to the show. Since I joined two episodes into season two, our paths had never crossed.

_Until now…_

* * *

The second I saw Rosalie's Nicole Miller dress, I knew I had made a horrible mistake.

No, scratch that, a _series_ of horrible mistakes.

Mistake #1- agreeing to go to the interview.

Mistake #2- riding with Angela 'Speed Demon' Weber.

Mistake #3- not wearing make-up.

Mistake #4- thinking I'd be fine wearing pair of faded jeans with a hole in the knee and a plain white tank top under a pale yellow cropped jacket.

Mistake #5- not finding out just how hot Edward Cullen was BEFORE I arrived at the taping.

Of course, all of these mistakes were made, and all of them snow balled together to create billions of butterflies in my stomach.

"Nice outfit." Rosalie snickered as Angela and I walked into the hair and make-up room. There was a flurry of activity, as various people were getting made-up. I recognized Jacob sitting to the right, between Jasper and Rosalie. Rosalie was just finished getting her hair curled when she saw us come in. She smiled at Angela and scowled at me. Her attire, a gorgeous sapphire blue Nicole Miller shift dress, made me want to vomit in disgust at my outfit.

"Uh, yeah. I forgot we had this thing." I admitted, shrugging sheepishly.

"Oh, couldn't be bothered to remember? Edward, you should meet Bella. Our forgettable, I mean, forgetful new cast member." Rosalie said, her voice dripping with sweetness.

On the left side of the room several hairstylists moved out of the way for a man sitting in a car in front of them. His back was to me and as he stood, I watched countless muscles ripple underneath is black button-down shirt.

I couldn't help but allow my gaze to fall lower and watch his legs, clad in a pair of dark wash jeans that his shirt was tucked into, flex as he turned. When I looked up to his face, I was unprepared for what I saw. Piercing green eyes held my gaze and it was hard to believe that they were real. He had a tough face with strong jaw and a small hint of stubble. His hair, a reddish brown that reminded me of a dirty penny, was long and tousled hazardously.

I silently reminded myself to breathe as I took a few steps towards him, my hand extended to shake his. The toe of my slip-on black vans caught the cord to a flatiron and I fell forward. Bracing myself to hit the ground, I felt strong arms reach out and catch me easily. I couldn't hear the spraying of hairspray or Rosalie's hysterical laughter. I only heard one thing.

"Falling for me already? That was easy."

* * *

_I got my first review! No one is more excited than me right now. Thank you so much, RoGueSurfer. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the many more to come. Also, anyone that may be reading this and not reviewing, thank you for taking the time to check my story out...  
Always,  
Eden _


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and it's still OK with me.**

**Dirty Pretty Things  
Chapter Two- Edward's Point of View**

"Please welcome, the cast of Dirty Pretty Things!"

I wasn't sure if it was Joy, Kelly, or even Barbara who announced the show name. In fact, I'm only guessing it was the show's name that they said. Despite its demographic audience being much older than what our show was aimed at, the roar of the studio audience was deafening and drowned out our introduction completely.

As the cast and I sat in our arranged places on the talk show's trademark yellow couches, Jasper leaned over to me.

"Edward, I think they like me more." Jasper teased.

I laughed. It didn't matter that Jasper had blonde hair and blue eyes. We were like brothers and I could never forget all of the good times we'd shared over the years. However, one of the things we did best together were interviews. It was the chance to be candid and even sometimes tell a couple white lies. When we first started doing interviews, we'd keep track of how many false stories we could get published about us.

Now it felt like ages since I had last done any PR. Ever since my exit from the show, I had been laying low, only going to hockey games at Staples Center to watch my brother Emmet play or out to the occasional club opener that my sister Alice was organizing.

Other than that, I focused on the construction of my house that I shared with Alice and Emmet. Now that construction was complete and I had officially run out of things to do, I was anxious to get back to work.

And, if I was going to be completely honest with myself, I was anxious to get to _her_.

Isabella Swan.

When the writers of Dirty Pretty Things had mentioned bringing my character back, I never imagined what would be waiting for me.

The first time I saw her was nearly three weeks ago.

The studio had sent over some footage of the daily scenes so that I could have an idea of where the show was going with its storylines.

Rosalie, who spent a lot of time at my house because of her relationship with Emmet, had mentioned that the writers even added a brand new character. I wasn't expecting much, maybe an overly dyed blonde bimbo to be Rosalie's character's lapdog. I was shocked when I turned the footage on to see a brunette beauty.

She looked about medium height- towering over Angela, but being dwarfed by the six foot tall Rosalie. Her dark brown hair went well past her shoulders and the show's hair stylists so far had given her curls, straight hair, and dreadlocks so I wasn't sure what it looked like naturally. She wasn't pale, but had a creamy light complexion and womanly figure despite her slender frame. The thing that struck me the most was her eyes. They weren't just brown. They were hazel and green and so deep that it was hard to look away.

Her on-screen presence made it clear why the studio chose her so quickly for the part. It didn't matter if she had talent. With a face like that, she could convince an audience of anything.

Luckily, she was not lacking talent. I watched her character's dialogues and was amazed at how she not only held her own while sharing the screen with the intimidating Rosalie, but managed to draw attention to her even if just through an expressive glance.

It was an expressive glance now, which she cast at me.

The set manager that had arranged us had explained that he wanted a cozy atmosphere and sat us closely together. I didn't mind.

Sitting closely to my right was Isabella and next to her was Angela, with Rosalie next to her. On my left was Jasper, with Jacob next to him. I almost had to laugh. They had seated Jacob almost as far away from his ex, Angela, as possible.

I looked down at Isabella and smiled. She smiled in return, a faint blush coming to her cheeks.

"Rosalie, you are looking truly gorgeous. What a fabulous dress." Joy exclaimed to Rosalie, who was looking perturbed that she had lost her coveted middle seat to Isabella.

I was thankful for the distraction. Staring at Isabella throughout the entire interview would probably draw unnecessary attention to us.

"Why thank you. Nothing but the best for my favorite show." Rosalie said sweetly.

I smirked. On more than one occasion Rosalie had complained about the talk show not giving her enough media attention. _Like she needs it_, I thought sarcastically.

"What a sweetheart! Now Rosalie, why don't you tell us a little bit about your character this season." Barbara prompted.

"Well, Megan is on a journey. She had a miscarriage shortly after her boyfriend left and she's just been spinning out of control. This season is all about the aftermath of every poor decision she made last season." Rosalie explained passionately. I had to give it to her. She was serious about her roles, and her character, Megan, was no exception.

"And your character's boyfriend is, of course, played by the handsome Edward Cullen. Now Edward, you truly are a fan favorite. What's it like being back on the show that made you a household name?" Joy asked.

_What an original question_. "I haven't actually started filming anything yet, but reading the scripts and just knowing that I'm back with my friends is great." I offered politely.

Elisabeth smiled and nodded her head nonstop. "What do you think has changed the most since you've come back?"

"Well, there are definitely some major changes, the most obvious being Isabella. I've seen some of the footage and she is truly a phenomenal actress. She's going to blow the audiences away."

I felt her stiffen next to me. Despite the warmth on the stage from all the cameras and the lights, goose bumps broke out along her arms. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and make her warm again. It was obvious that Bella hated having attention brought to her.

"Those are some high compliments, what do you think of that Isabella?" Joy asked, turning to Isabella.

"Bella." Isabella nearly whispered.

"What?" Barbara asked loudly, indicating for Isabella to speak up.

Isabella straightened up a little, almost cautiously. It was as if she was expecting to be reprimanded at any moment.

"Bella. Please, just call me Bella. As far as what Edward's saying, I don't know what to make of it. To be honest, I don't own a TV so I haven't actually seen the show before I came on. I guess I'll have to go get one before the season premier."

That surprised me. It was as if she was unaware of just how big this show was. I had the strong urge to protect her. Things could get crazy with fame, and I wanted to look out for her. I didn't want anything to happen to her. Most of all, I wanted her to be with me. _Wow, meet her in person today and you want to be with her forever. Smooth, Edward,_ I mentally chided myself.

The three hosts were now gaping at Bella. "No TV? What? You don't believe in it?" Elisabeth inquired incredulously.

Bella shrugged. "I just could never really afford one. I guess I can't use that as the excuse anymore, though. The network will probably make getting a TV part of my contract. You know, bump up the viewer ratings." She tried to laugh a little at the end, but her discomfort was obvious.

Joy attempted to lighten the mood. "That's funny. What does your family make of all of this? Here you are, only nineteen and have landed such a big role in an open casting call, your first if I'm not mistaken?"

Bella froze. I watched her carefully from the side as she went as white as a sheet. She opened her mouth to speak, but than quickly closed it. She looked helplessly at Angela.

Understanding flashed across Angela's face and she interrupted gracefully. "You know, that's enough about Bella. She's pretty much contractually obligated to leave a little bit about herself to mystery. Just like her character."

* * *

"It's fine. No one even noticed the dead air, they were too busy staring at Rosalie's ridiculous outfit." I overheard Angela whispering to Bella.

The taping had just finished and we were all relaxing on the stage. With the cameras off and the set lights dimmed, the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed. Rosalie had rushed to the audience to sign autographs and take pictures with fans, dragging Jacob with her. Angela, Bella, Jasper, and I had remained sitting, while the hosts were whisked off to hair and make-up again to prepare to another taping.

"It was horrible. I don't know why I even came here." Bella replied, her soft voice full of disappointment.

I cocked my head to the side. I didn't get it. Bella didn't seem like Rosalie, so I couldn't figure out why she would be so upset that the interview went less than perfect. Sure, there was a little bit of awkward silence, but Bella spent a good majority of the time charming the audience and the hosts.

_Than again, maybe I was the one charmed by her. From my perspective, anything she did would've been good,_ I reminded myself.

"Bella, It's alright. It's your first interview. It gets easier. Just ask Edward. He used to give horrible interviews." Angela encouraged.

I paled.

Angela and I had always been good friends, joking around and laughing, but I didn't want her volunteering information about me that I was less than proud of.

Bella turned to me. There was a little more space between us with less people sitting on the couch, but that didn't make the pull I felt between us any less strong.

"Is that true?" she asked.

Jasper started cracking up behind me, but I ignored him.

"You really didn't have a TV?" I asked suspiciously.

She shook her head no, a small smile coming to her face.

I took a deep breath. "Than you missed my first interview. It was for the E! News, a little segment of one on one questions between the interviewer and me. I threw up." I said quickly.

To my surprise, Bella started to laugh. It was a light and melodious laugh, almost like a little girl's.

"You got so nervous that you threw up?" Bella asked incredulously.

"Not exactly. He was so hung over that he threw up." Jasper explained.

By now all four of us were laughing. It was infectious.

"Something funny?" Rosalie asked, having gotten her fill of signing autographs. Bella's laughter quickly stopped and the goose bumps returned to arms.

_I wonder what that's about. No doubt Rosalie is making her feel nice and welcome_, I thought sarcastically, remembering her comment backstage about Bella being forgettable.

"Oh, we were telling Bella about Edward's E! New interview. The one where he completely ruined Ryan Seacrest's shoes, remember?" Angela filled in.

"What a classic. That's Edward Cullen at his best right there." Jacob replied, walking into the group.

Now it was Angela's turn to tense up. I resisted the urge to tell her to calm down.

I was happy that they were both willing to be professional, but I missed the old days when they were dating. Things would never be this awkward if they were still together. I had asked Jacob about the break-up since he spent a lot of time at my house. He had never disclosed any key information, but I knew if and when he'd want to talk about it, he would. Jacob, Jasper, Emmett, and I were all good friends and we ended up telling each other a lot.

"So, since I've gotten better at handling my alcohol, maybe we should go out for drinks tonight? Celebrate Bella's first interview?" I suggested, trying to change the subject.

Angela looked relieved at my suggestion since now she didn't have to directly speak to Jacob.

"I'm guessing I get an invite since I'm the designated driver?" Angela prompted.

It was true, as much as I loved Angela's company, she was also the only underage one out of the group, and although she'd been known to drink, she preferred not to do it in public.

"Well, we wouldn't want to deprive you of the chance to drive us around. After all, you turn 21 next month and soon Bella's going to have to be our chaperone." Jasper joked.

"Oh that's right. Little Bella. Barely 19, huh? What a drag." Rosalie said bitchily.

I opened my mouth to tell her to quit with the snide comments, but Bella beat me to it.

"I'm almost 20, actually, and I completely fine with not drinking. I mean, the whole 'overexposed-dancing-completely-plastered-and-with-no-underwear-on-a-table' thing is a little played out, don't you think?" She asked rhetorically. Clearly she'd been made aware of Rosalie's party girl ways.

I was speechless. I didn't expect such a reply from Bella, and apparently neither did Rosalie, who sneered, but stayed silent.

"I'd love to come, but I don't think I'm up for it." Bella said softly.

I exchanged a look with Jasper. _Please, read my mind. Convince Bella to come_, I mentally willed him.

Telepathy was on my side.

"Bella, I know it's a little delayed, but think of it as a welcome party. You can't miss your own welcome party." Jasper reminded.

Bella looked torn. I resisted the urge to get on my knees and beg her to come. The silence seemed to go on for hours, until I heard the one word I was waiting for.

"OK."

* * *

_So the chapters are a little short, but I can't help but put up new chapters as soon as I'm done- It's addicting! I don't have an editor or anything fancy like that, so my rush to get new chapters out may cost me a mistake or two. I'll try my best to fix everything I can. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please feel free to leave me any kind of feedback you'd like. Also, don't forget that extended information on this story and the character cast list is on my profile.  
Always,  
Eden _


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Dirty Pretty Things  
Chapter Three- Bella's Point of View**

"So, that was a little awkward?" I asked, partly for conversation and partly out of curiosity.

"What? The major stare down between you and Edward?" Angela quipped.

We had just made it through security and were back in her black Hummer. _Such a big car for such a small girl,_ I thought.

"Me and Edward? What are you talking about?"

After agreeing to go out to the club with everyone, Angela had decided we should leave to get ready. I had admitted to Angela that I didn't have anything to wear to a club and she had promised she'd be able to take care of it. Now, all I had to do was survive another car ride with her maniac driving.

"Come on, the ogling eyes you were giving him. The fact that he couldn't help but sing your praises on national television? You really didn't notice anything?" Angela asked skeptically.

I didn't respond._ So I didn't imagine it. _I thought happily.

The truth was, I didn't know what to think of any of it. The entire interview didn't seem nearly as nerve-wracking as sitting next to Edward. It was almost painful being that close to him and not being able to reach out and touch him.

It was easy to understand why he had such a following with the ladies. Then again, those girls didn't have to be in close proximity with Edward the way I would no doubt have to now that we were going to be on the same show together. That thought alone made me both excited and nervous.

"So, clearly you DID notice something!" Angela squealed when I didn't respond.

"Angela, I need to be able to trust you on this."

Angela's face went solemn. "I promise. You can trust me. Now spill! What's the deal?"

"That's just it. I have no idea. I mean, I just met him and I felt so, drawn to him. It's stupid, though. He's Hollywood royalty and definitely not my type." I sighed.

What was wrong with me? I was never the rambling type. I didn't worry over guys or what they thought of me. Hollywood was really screwing me up.

"And what type is that? You can't seriously be writing him off because of his fame. In case you didn't notice, Miss Bella, but you're about to become quite famous yourself." Angela reminded.

I shook my head. "That's different. I'll never have the crazy following that he does. Ah! What am I saying? It doesn't matter. Edward and I are going to have to work together so maybe it'd just be better if you and I didn't talk about it. You know, it might make things weird."

This didn't please Angela. She sighed heavily, looking both amused and exasperated. "Seriously, Bella, I don't get you. You like him and why not? He's nice and hot and not to mention insanely rich. Plus, I think you guys would be really cute together."

_We would, wouldn't we? _I thought smugly before quickly chasing the thought from my mind.

"Just, forget it. Let's change the subject; like why are we back at work?" I asked, looking out the passenger side window.

We had just pulled up to the studio's main entrance gate and Angela was already rolling down her window to flash the guard her VIP pass. The guard waved her on and opened the security gate to let her drive through.

"Well, you needed something to wear out tonight and since there was no way your long legs would fit into anything I owned, I figured we could just borrow some stuff from the wardrobe department. They have closets full of clothes custom made for your character and since all the clothes are only worn once, you wearing something out will be almost like a brand new outfit." Angela explained.

"Are we allowed to do that?" Somehow I didn't think the wardrobe department would be happy at the thought of us stealing clothes to wear out to trashy nightclubs.

"I don't know if we're allowed, pre say, but I've been doing it for years. We'll just return whatever we borrow and make sure that if were photographed, we look good. It's that simple. Now come on, let's go pick you out something hot."

* * *

One hour and sixteen outfits later, Angela was finally happy with my appearance.

I, however, was livid.

"I look like a hooker." I hissed, trying to get a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror in Angela's dressing room.

"No. You look hot. And if you stop fidgeting, I can finish your make-up and we can get out of here." Angela added a little bit more blush to my cheeks and took a step back to admire her work.

I took the opportunity to squeeze around her and get a full look at myself in the mirror. It had taken some digging, but Angela had managed to find a somewhat formal dress from my character's trashy closet. The dress was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, which was the reason that Angela insisted I wear a push-up bra to flaunt what little cleavage I did have. The style was tight fitting and opened up at the waist to create a slight skirt. To say it went to mid-thigh would be untruthfully adding about four inches to its length. The dress itself was pale pink with old-fashioned lace overlay. It wasn't very risky, but it with the three inch black heels, it was more leg than I had ever shown.

Angela had been kind enough to leave my hair in its naturally wavy curls, but had transformed my face with smoky black and gold eye make-up and bronzed cheeks. Angela had explained that the whole look was supposed to be mysterious and sexy, but I didn't understand what was so mysterious about revealing so much of my body and hiding so much of my face under make-up.

"Wow. I don't look like myself at all." I murmured, almost to myself.

"Yes you do, just a more glam version of yourself."

Angela was dressed in a shimmering blue halter dress that was almost as short as mine. Her silver strappy heels added six inches to her tiny frame and she'd left her hair straight and shiny. Her make-up was very California girl, with pale pink gloss and various shades of pink for eye shadow.

"You look nice." I told her. "I'm sure you'll be beating guys off with a stick tonight."

"Yeah, just not the guy I want." Angela said, halfheartedly.

"Angela, you know when you told me I could trust you? I want you to know that you can trust me to. To be honest, when I talked about things being awkward at the interview, I meant you and Jacob. Are things really that bad?"

Angela looked up at me and I could see tears in her blue eyes. "It's just hard, that's all. I miss him and I miss what we had together. After the four years that we were dating it's hard to remember how to live as just one person again- without someone important by your side nonstop."

No tears fell, but it was clear that Angela was not OK. Without another word I pulled her to me in a tight hug.

"Why don't you just talk to him? After being together that long, it's not like you can just cut him out of your life completely. You work together. You going to have to get along." Angela pulled away from me and nodded her head.

"Yeah, well, some things are easier said than done. Jacob's upset with me and I really can't blame him."

"What happened?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized I'd gone too far. Angela's face froze and she looked at her feet.

"It doesn't matter. I made a mistake and rather than fix it, I let it grow and grow until it just exploded. The result of that explosion is the destruction of my relationship with Jacob." Angela answered honestly.

"That's pretty grim."

"That's Hollywood. It's not all sunshine and happiness. If I could just go back and fix…"

"No." I interrupted. "You never go back. You only go forward."

Angela smiled. "You're right, Bella. So, let's go forward and party."

* * *

It was almost nine when we made it to Edward's house. Angela had called Edward after we finished getting ready to figure out what everyone wanted to do. Edward told her that Rosalie and Emmett were going to meet us at the club, as was Jacob, who was in the mood to ride his motorcycle. That left me, Angela, Jasper, Edward, and Edward's younger sister Alice.

After hanging up with Edward, Angela had relied the information to me. She laughed sadly when she mentioned Jacob. "Edward's a sweetheart, trying not to hurt my feelings. Jacob didn't want to ride his bike as much as he wanted to not ride with us."

I couldn't help but gasp when Angela parked in the driveway of Edward's place- it was a mansion.

"Yeah, it has that effect on people." Angela laughed, taking in my stunned expression.

The house was huge, with stone walkways leading up to a glass front door. The front yard was grassy and lined with flowers in various shades and shapes and the walkway was light by SolarLights. Once we got to the front door, Angela opened it without knocking and led us in.

"Honey, I'm home!" she called out, jokingly.

I heard a pair of high heels clicking along the marble floor and watch as a fiery redhead threw herself into Angela's arms.

"Ange, where have you been? Besides off getting even more glamorous!" the redhead cried, pulling away from Angela to admire her outfit.

"Likewise, Alice." Angela replied.

So THIS was Alice Cullen. She was about my height, maybe an inch or two taller, and had dark red hair almost as long as mine in messy loose waves. Her eyes were green, like Edward's, but hers were covered in lots of black eyeliner and mascara, not like Edward's. She was clad in a glittery black tank top dress that was loose fitting and stopped a few inches short of her knees. The dress showed off her toned arms and it was clear that she exercised.

"Oh, great, here I am going on and on about you and I haven't even said hello to your friend. You must be Bella." Alice said, turning her attention to me.

I smiled nervously, and held my hand out to shake.

"Don't be silly." Alice exclaimed, launching at me and pulling me into a hug.

"Good to see your all getting along." I heard a deep voice say.

Alice pulled away from me to reveal Edward standing behind her, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt. On top of the shirt he was wearing a worn black leather jacket. He looked so good that if Alice hadn't still had her arm around my waist, I might have fainted.

"Duh, Edward. Bella and I are going to be great friends." She said, squeezing me around the waist.

I smiled, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach when Edward took in my appearance.

"You look great, Bella." He said, smiling.

_Breathe, breathe_, I reminded myself. "Thanks. Courtesy of Dirty Pretty Things wardrobe department." I joked.

Alice laughed next to me. "Stealing from wardrobe? Angela has taught you well."

"Of course! Now are you guys ready to go, or what? Where is Jasper, anyways?" Angela asked, stomping her foot in feigned impatience.

"Did someone say my name?" Jasper asked, walking into the foyer. He was dressed in a pair of black jeans and black blazer over a forest green shirt.

"Hey Jasper, done looking in the mirror?" Angela asked, smirking.

"Hi Jasper." I said, over everyone's laughter at Angela's comment.

"Hey, hey, I'm ready to go. Thanks again for driving, Ange."

"No problem, drink all you want tonight, but if any of it ends up in my car, you're walking home." Angela warned.

"See, that's fair. Now, let's get going. I told Rosalie we'd meet them at Exclude at nine." Alice said, opening the front door and leading us out to the car.

Jasper and Alice got into the backseat and almost immediately started to cuddle. I looked over at Edward, who grimaced at his sister and her boyfriend.

"You can have the front seat if you'd like, that way you don't have to sit next to that." I told him.

"Thank you." He whispered gratefully.

I nodded and climbed into the backseat. Edward got in next to Angela in the front and I tried as hard as I could not to wish that he and I were the ones in the back cuddling.

* * *

As soon as we pulled up to Exclude there was already a line around the block to get in and countless flashing lights from the photographers' cameras. I knew that this little get together was considered a welcome party for me, but I wasn't all that interested in standing in that long line.

Once we all got out of the car, I realized that the line was not intended for us. Angela strolled up to the front door where a large bouncer was guarding the door with scowling face. He took one look at us and immediately pulled back the red velvet rope that was blocking the entrance. I half expected him to pick me out of the group and order me to wait in line.

After all, I wasn't very famous. Only rarely had people recognized me from promotional commercials and posters for the show since the episodes I was in hadn't even aired yet.

Angela smiled at the photographers, as did Jasper and Alice. In fact, the only people that didn't were Edward and me, who were standing behind the three of them. I looked up at him only to find him looking down at me, a crooked smile on his face.

"I don't really like having my picture taken." He admitted, sheepishly.

I leaned up to him and into his ear. "Neither do I." I whispered.

We both laughed lightly and stared at each other for a moment. I gave him a funny smile after we both didn't turn away and he laughed. It wasn't until Alice turned around and pulled my arm towards the door that our eye connection was broken.

The club was not at all what I expected. It was dark with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The middle of the room acted as a dance floor, while white couches were arranged along the wall as little conversation corners that were divided with gauzy black curtains. Against the far wall was a long bar made of black and white marble that housed countless bottles of alcohol behind the bartenders. Crazy techno French music blared out of hidden speakers. The entire look was classy and elegant and not at all like the typical club I had imagined it to be.

"It's different, huh?" Angela asked, as we took a seat where Jacob and Rosalie were sitting in a secluded sitting area across from the bar.

"It's definitely not what I was expecting." I said, scanning the club.

Alice and Jasper had almost immediately left the group to go dance, while Edward went with his brother Emmett to get drinks.

Emmett was a lot like Edward, with green eyes and a tall frame, but kept his brown hair much shorter than Edward's. He was also more built than Edward, probably because of his job. Angela had filled me in earlier about how Emmett played for the Los Angeles Kings, a hockey team that played at Staples Center here in Los Angeles.

"And what were you expecting? A rave? A disco? A house party in the San Fernando valley?" Rosalie asked. She was dressed in a low cut black halter dress that revealed most of her back and all of her legs. She was sitting away from us in the corner, sipping on a pink cocktail.

"Rosalie, just chill." Angela said, casting her a warning glance.

Rosalie shrugged and went back to watching the dancers, as if we were too boring to talk to.

"Why aren't you out there dancing?" I asked Jacob, trying to break the silence.

"I'm not really the dancing type." He said with a sly smile.

"That's not true." Angela nearly whispered.

I turned to her, surprised.

It was the first time I had heard her back a direct comment to Jacob. Clearly I wasn't the only one surprised. Jacob was now looking at Angela carefully, as if unsure of what to say. Even Rosalie had turned her attention to the two of them, unsure of what was going to happen next.

"I haven't danced in a while, Angela. Maybe I'm not the dancing type anymore." He said. Even though it was a simple enough statement, it was easy to detect the slight edge in his voice.

"So I guess it's pretty easy to let something go. Something you really like. I wonder if it's the same with people." Angela inquired, staring at Jacob with a longing that was heard to deny.

"Well, if people hurt you, I guess you have no choice but to let them go." Jacob challenged, watching Angela for a reaction.

Angela's face fell and I looked to Rosalie for help. She just stared, watching mutely, obviously not sure of what to do either.

"Drinks for everyone." A booming voice called, entering our sitting area. It was Emmett, carrying two drinks, along with Edward, who also had two in his hands.

"What's going on?" Edward asked, feeling the tense environment.

"Excuse me." Angela said, standing up and turning to go.

"Angela, just wait!" I told her, grabbing onto her arm.

"No, Bella. Just leave me alone. I'll be back." She whispered, pulling away and storming off to the bathroom.

Jacob sighed and stood up, grabbing the extra drink in Emmett's hand. Downing it in one swallow, he gave it back to Emmett before chasing after Angela. Emmett went and sat down next to Rosalie, handing her another cocktail.

"I missed you." Rosalie said, leaning in and kissing Emmett, even though he'd only been gone for a few minutes.

"What just happened?" I asked Edward, who came and sat next to me. I was confused and worried about Angela, but I couldn't ignore just how delicious Edward smelled.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing. Drink?" Edward offered.

I nodded, taking the glass from him, trying to ignore the feel of our hands brushing against each other.

"I think I'm going to need one to get through tonight." I muttered, finishing the drink in two swallows.

_Or seven._

_

* * *

_

_So there is Chapter 3! I'm so sorry for the wait. I got so excited- putting out two chapters in one day that by the time I was done, I was tired! I hope you enjoyed it and please leave any kind of feedback you'd like. If you have questions, comments, or anything you'd like me to address, I'd be more than happy to. This chapter was more about Angela and Jacob, but I promise you there is a lot of Edward and Bella to come. I just wanted to focus on the other characters so relationships didn't get too rushed. Look for the next chapter hopefully sometime today or early Sunday morning.  
Always,  
Eden _


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but I have 8 reviews, so I don't care- I'm happy!**

**Dirty Pretty Things  
Chapter Four- Edward's Point of View**

"They were just getting snippy with each other." Rosalie explained, working on her second cosmo. "Angela took it to heart and stormed off. Smart move if you ask me. Now Jacob has to go after her."

I ignored her. Rosalie always managed to make it sound like everyone else's problems were trivial. I had known Jacob long enough to know that something bad had happened between Angela and him, and it was a lot more serious than Rosalie made it out to be.

"Are things always this eventful?" I heard Bella ask from beside me.

I looked at her, once again taking in her appearance with appreciative eyes. She was beautiful without make-up and in a simple outfit, like the way she looked at the interview, but she took on a completely different style of beauty with her dark make-up and short dress.

"Usually it's me throwing a scene and Rosalie has to come drag me out of the bathroom." Emmett said, laughing at his own joke.

Rosalie rolled her eyes next to him, unhappy that Emmett was being so friendly to Bella. I was starting to get annoyed with her standoffish behavior. From what I'd seen, Rosalie had been mean to Bella without any real reason other than that she was new and Rosalie didn't know her.

"What about you? You don't like locking yourself in bathrooms?" Bella asked me, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Every now and then I might, but no one ever seems to come after me." I said in mock sadness.

"I would." Bella replied truthfully. She was smiling, but there was something so earnest in her words that I believed her.

Just like outside the club, I caught myself staring at her again, unable to tear my eyes away. She was doing the same and it wasn't until she turned to reach for her drink that I looked away.

"Would you like another?" I asked as she finished off the last of her rum and coke.

I had bought the drink for her just in case she wanted one. I knew she was only 19, but age rarely stopped people from drinking. Besides, after the incident with Angela and Jacob, Bella was more than grateful for the alcohol and had only just now set her empty glass on the table.

"That'd be great. Would you like me to come with you?" Bella asked.

_Am I imagining the eagerness in her voice? Or does she really want to go with me?_ I thought hopefully.

"No, Bella, sit back and relax. I'll help Edward with the drinks." Emmett said, standing up.

Emmett cast a quick glance my way. Clearly, he wanted to talk. I gave him a quick nod and stood, giving Bella a small smile before I left. We weren't even at the bar before Emmett started with the questions.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Bella?" Emmett asked as we made our way through the crowd to the bar.

"What do you mean?" I asked, wishing my voice didn't sound so hopeful.

"So you like her?" Emmett surmised, watching my face carefully.

"I only met her today." I reasoned, trying to come up with logical reasons for me not to like her.

"If you like her, you like her, how long you've known her has nothing to do with it." Emmett reasoned, as we made it to the bar.

He ordered two rum and cokes for Bella and me and another cosmo for Rosalie. While we waited for the drinks he continued his reasoning.

"She seems nice enough and she's hot. Why don't you just go for it?"

I wondered the same thing. _Why DON'T I just go for it? I don't have anything to lose. _Sure, I was older than her. She was 19 and I was 24. I'd spent the last several years acting and she was a virtual unknown. To me, nothing fit, but it didn't matter. I didn't realize I was off in my own little world until Emmett shoved me in the shoulder.

"Yeah, you're right." I admitted, taking a sip of my drink when it arrived.

"Of course I am. Now come on, I want to see you attempt to spit some game." Emmett joked, leading the way back to our table.

By the time we got back, Alice had returned and Bella was nowhere to be seen. Alice grabbed the extra drink from my hand and took a sip, a knowing smile on her face.

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." Alice responded in singsong voice.

Emmett went and sat next to Rosalie, handing her the cosmo. She set it on the table and pulled him into a kiss. I would never get used to Rosalie's obsession with PDA. I sat down next to Alice, my eyes scanning the crowd.

"She's dancing with Jasper." Alice said when she was unable to get my attention. "Bella. You know, the girl you can't stop looking for? I got tired and Jasper dragged Bella off to take my place."

I finished my drink and stood before I lost my nerve. Setting the glass on the table I turned and went into the crowd to find Bella. She was in the middle of the crowd with Jasper, dancing wildly. It was impossible to look away from her body as it swayed to the beat. Her and Jasper were laughing hysterically as they danced together and it put me at ease to see them as nothing more than two friends just dancing together for fun.

"Mind if I cut in?" I asked, slipping up behind Bella.

Her laughing stopped, but the smile didn't leave her face. She turned to me completely, unsure of what to do. Jasper said something about going to find Alice and I took the opportunity to pull Bella close to me. Sliding my hands to her waist, I pulled her body to mine as we swayed to the music. She brought her hands to my chest and slowly trailed them up and around my neck.

I watched as her eyes grew clouded with desire and it was clear that I wasn't the only one feeling something between the two of us. It was like we were in our own little world. If someone accidently bumped into us, we didn't say a word, unable to tear ourselves away from each other. Songs ended and new ones began, but everything sounded the same to me. I didn't hear anything outside of Bella's shallow breathing.

"Are you having a good time?" she asked suddenly, looking a little weary of how close we were.

I didn't like the thought of her being scared of us so close together, but I couldn't bring myself to put distance between us.

"Absolutely. Are you?"

She nodded slightly, her lips parting in a smile. Her uneasiness seemed to disappear as we spent more than together. As the songs changed into a slower play list, we swayed slowly together, talking in hushed whispers.

I asked her about her first few weeks on set and she asked me about what I'd been doing since I left the show. We talked about my family and how close we all were since Alice, Emmett and I moved out here together from New York about three years ago. When I asked about her family she mentioned that she was an only child raised in Los Angeles, but didn't go into detail about her parents. I figured they didn't get along and decided not to push her.

After the crowd got rowdy again with the return of techno music, we decided to join the others at our table. As we made our way through the crowd, Bella got pushed more and more in various directions. I grabbed her hand and pulled her close to me to protect her from the dancers that were throwing themselves around and she leaned into my body, gratefully.

Back at the table, Alice was beaming. "So, Angela and Jacob came back. They said they were going to the car to talk and that they'd wait for us out there." Alice relayed, although her voice made it clear she thought they were doing more than talking.

"Did Angela look OK?" Bella asked. She was worried about her friend and I couldn't help but smile at how kind she was, worrying over Angela.

"She'll be fine. It's about time she and Jacob hashed things out. It may be painful, but it needed to be done." Alice said truthfully.

Bella sighed and took a sip from Alice's drink that she offered her. She still hadn't let go of my hand, a fact that not only I was aware of, but everyone at the table seemed to have noticed too.

"So, Edward, Bella, you guys ready to get out of here? Rosalie and Emmett already left for home a while ago." Jasper said. He had his hand on Alice's knee and it was clear he was anxious to get home and be with her. I tried to shake the thought of my little sister and him together, something that was hard to get used to even though we all lived together.

"Sure. Ready Edward?" she asked, squeezing my hand.

So she hadn't forgotten she was holding onto me. She just didn't want to let go.

"Sure, let's get going." I replied.

Jasper and Alice followed us as we made our way out of the club. It was well past one, but the photographers were still outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of some celebrity. When the reached the car, there were already hundreds of pictures taken of us. Inside the car, Jacob and Angela were in the front seat arguing. Luckily we had taken Angela's Hummer, so Jasper and Alice climbed into the far backseat while Bella and I sat in the middle row. As soon as we were all in, Angela pulled away and started towards my house.

"I'm not letting you drive your stupid motorcycle drunk, Jacob." Angela argued, keeping her eyes on the road.

"You don't get a say in what I do anymore, Angela. If I want to drive my motorcycle, I'll drive my motorcycle, if I want to crash it, I'll crash it. It has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me, Jacob! Stop pretending like you're unaware of my feelings for you. It's not fair." Angela screamed. Hot tears were falling down her cheeks and she wiped at them angrily.

It was quiet for a while and I couldn't take it any longer.

"If you can't go out with us to a club without fighting, how are you supposed to work together on set? You can both stay over at my place, but you have to talk. Tiptoeing around each other isn't going to get anything accomplished." I said, my voice low but strict.

I was the oldest out of the group and found myself mediating a lot of the fights within our group. I had watched Jacob and Angela avoid each other for weeks now and I knew if someone didn't say something, the drawn-out battle between them would continue.

Angela sniffled and didn't say another word. Jacob was looking out the window, making no indication that he had heard me. I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't think Jacob would listen. I knew he heard me, he was just saving his voice for the screaming match that was no doubt in store for him with Angela.

When we pulled up to the house, Angela and Jacob made no move to get out.

"Angela and I are going to go talk at my place, Edward. I'll call you tomorrow." Jacob said, looking at Angela for any signs of rebuttal.

Angela nodded her head and sighed, not wanting to argue.

"You can stay here, if you'd like, Bella." I heard Alice offer.

Everyone in the car had been drinking besides Angela, and Alice clearly didn't want to make Bella ride in that awkward ride with just Angela and Jacob.

"Are you sure?" Bella asked, softly. It was obvious that she didn't want to impose, but the thought of riding with Angela and Jacob was much more frightening.

"Sure, we have more than enough room. I can take you home tomorrow." I offered.

She nodded. "That'd be great. Call me tomorrow, OK Angela?"

Angela nodded OK, not trusting herself to speak. Bella squeezed her shoulder and we got out. Jasper said goodnight and headed up to bed, while Alice said she'd go grab Bella something for her to wear to bed.

Once inside, I led Bella to one of the guest rooms. It was one of the bigger rooms, with a large king bed in various shades of maroon and brown. Attached to the bedroom was a private bathroom, stocked with towels, shampoo, and other toiletries.

"My bedroom is down the hall on the right. If you need anything, just let me know." Alice said, coming into the room and handing Bella a pair of blue cotton shorts and a pale yellow tank top.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here. I really don't think Angela and Jacob needed an audience for their fight." Bella said softly.

"They just need to work things out. Once that happens, I think everyone will be MUCH happier." Alice said, smiling.

"I hope so." Bella murmured.

"It'll be fine. Now, get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." Alice said, hugging Bella goodnight.

Alice turned and punched my arm before skipping out of the room.

"I love my sister." I muttered sarcastically.

I was very much aware of the fact that Bella and I were now alone together. She was standing only a few feet from me, watching me with the same hooded eyes she had when we danced together.

"Good night, Bella." I said in a low voice.

Bella surprised me by closing the distance between us and hugging me, her arms wrapping lightly around my waist. I wasn't expecting the hug or what came next.

Standing up on her toes, Bella leaned into me and kissed me softly on the lips. She pulled away, looking as stunned with herself as I was.

"I didn't mean to do that." She muttered, pulling out of my arms and turning away.

I was too quick. I grabbed her arm before she was too far out of my reach and pulled her back towards me, kissing her forcefully on the lips. I couldn't stop. I pulled her, almost roughly, even closing to me, bringing her entire body to press against mine. Our lips played against each other, unable to stop. I almost growled when Bella pulled away, her gasping for air.

I reached for her again and she launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me passionately. With her soft moans and entire body pressed against mine, it was all I could do not to throw her on the bed and start ripping off her clothes.

"We… we have to st-stop." She gasped, as I moved to her neck, nipping at the soft skin there.

"Why?" I groaned into her neck, my hands wrapping around her to move up and down her back.

"Edward!" she squealed, as I bit at a sensitive part of her neck.

As much I didn't want to stop, I knew I had to. We had only known each other a day and there was no way I wanted to rush what we had, whatever it was.

"Bella…" I whispered hoarsely, pulling away just far enough to look in her eyes.

"I know." She whispered back, clinging to me as if her life depended on it.

"I think I should say good night now, while I still have enough control over myself to leave." I admitted, kissing her softly.

She sighed, pulling herself out of my arms. "OK." She said breathlessly.

"Before I go, you need to know that I want to be with you, Bella." I said cautiously.

There it was. Out in the open. She could say she wanted to be with me or she could say it was just a kiss. I unknowingly held my breath.

"I want to be with you, too." She said, smiling.

That was all I needed to here. I pulled her to me once again, this time kissing her softly and intimately.

"Good night, Edward." Bella whispered, laughing softly.

I smiled. She was right. We needed to say good night now. Before things got out of hand.

"Good night, Bella." I said, leaving the room while I still had the willpower to do so.

As I made my way to my room, I couldn't help but think to myself just how well things had turned out. I was determined to make things work with Bella. Despite my past relationships, I couldn't honestly tell myself that I had felt like this before. Bella was something special, and I had no intention of ever letting her go.

* * *

_So there's Chapter 4! What do you think? I know it may seem a little rushed, but I have no intention of giving Bella and Edward the perfect smooth sailing romance. Fanfiction's got drama, just like life. If you'd like a little bit of spoilers, just let me know. I'd be more than happy to message anyone with information on upcoming chapters. As far as Jacob, it will be revealed eventually as to what Angela did to make him so upset. However, I think the next couple chapters should focus around Bella and Edward, don't you? I don't think I'm particularly good at writing the smutty make-out sessions like a lot of the writers on here are, so I hope that you guys still liked it. Did I mention that the last chapter got four reviews?! My most for a single chapter so far. That's some of the best encouragement right there! Thank you all so much for reading and I hope to get the next chapter up for you later tonight or early tomorrow.  
Always,  
Eden _


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Oh well…**

**Dirty Pretty Things  
Chapter Five- Bella's Point of View**

When I woke up the next morning I was feeling more than a little disoriented. It took me a while for my mind to figure out why I was in such unfamiliar surroundings.

Rather than be worried, I was immediately comforted by the memories from last night. Edward and I had danced. Edward and I had hugged. Edward and I had held hands. Edward and I had kissed. Edward and I were together. The biggest shock of all was how I felt about it.

I was actually happy. Sure, I wanted to be happy, but I was half-expecting I would be scared at the thought of dating Edward. His looks, money, and fame were more than a little intimidating. And yet, after everything that had happened between us last night, he had done nothing but make me feel safe.

I sighed in contentment. As wonderful as it was to just lay in bed, I knew from experience that Edward's arms were much more comforting. It was that thought that pulled me from my bed and into the shower. There was no way I wanted my first morning with Edward to be plagued with bad breath or bed head.

First, I hurried to the bathroom to take a quick shower. After I was done, I brushed my teeth and towel dried my hair. It was already starting to dry in waves, but there wasn't much I could do about it.

I changed back in the cotton short shorts and pale yellow tank top Alice gave me last night before glancing at the clock on the nightstand. It was already ten, pretty late considering I'd had five a.m. call times for the last couple weeks.

Luckily, it was only Friday and Laurent hadn't called for us to do any filming until Monday. We still had a read through planned on Sunday, something the producers always seemed to sneak into our 'weekends off', but that didn't require nearly as much time or energy. Instead, we got our new scripts and had a giant read along with the cast and executives that had poured millions of dollars into the show. Without the entire wardrobe, hair, make-up, and a filming schedule to go by, it was definitely the most at ease time on set.

I wasn't sure if ten would be early or late for Edward and the others, but I decided I could just head downstairs and see if anyone was up. I heard hushed whispers as I came down the stairs and followed them around a corner and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was bright and happy with yellow walls and an entire wall made out of windows that faced the backyard. There were various cooking appliances along the white tile countertops, excluding a large island that took up a lot of the room. On it was Jasper, sitting and eating Lucky Charms straight out of box. In front of him was Edward, who was leaning over Alice's shoulder. Alice was seated at the large wooden kitchen table, an ultra thin MacBook Air opened in front of her.

Whatever they were looking at had both Edward and Alice enthralled.

"Good morning." I called, walking into the room. I made a beeline for Edward, but stopped short when I saw the angry look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly worried.

I had spent so much time thinking about how I felt about us being together, that I didn't even stop to think about what Edward might have to say. The thought of him regretting last night made me sick to my stomach and I eyed him suspiciously. When I noticed Alice looking at me with almost as angry a stare as Edward, I wondered what I had done.

"Did I do something wrong?" I prompted, uncomfortable with the silence.

"Oh, come on, just tell her. It's not like she'll never find out. Besides, she's an adult, she can handle it." That was Jasper. He didn't look angry at all, mostly just content with his cereal.

"Tell me what?" I asked, getting impatient.

"Well, see the thing is…" Alice began, but Edward quickly silenced her.

"No." he warned.

Walking to me, he kissed my forehead. "I want you to know that you're beautiful. In fact, to me, you are absolutely perfect. This life that we lead because of our jobs is crazy. People can be cruel and mean and will look to attack you for the littlest things." He began, watching my reaction.

I smiled. His words were kind, but it was easy to see his anger rise at the mention of people attacking me.

"Thank you, but Jasper's right. I'm a big girl. I can handle whatever it is…" I said, my voice trailing off as I went to look at what was on Alice's computer. My mouth fell open at what I saw.

A web browser was opened to a celebrity blog site. On it were various pictures of Edward, Alice, Jasper, and me from when we were leaving the club. I probably would have jumped up and down at the sight of me on a famous website if it wasn't for the article's headline.

Dirty Pretty Things Hopes to Boost Ratings with Anorexic Newcomer.

My eyes scanned the accompanying article. I didn't have to read much to get the gist of it.

"Dirty Pretty Things' newest cast member, Bella Swan, made her mark on the Hollywood scene last night on the arm of Edward Cullen. Although she was dressed nicely, her outfit did nothing to hide her too thin and frail body. According to eyewitnesses, Bella didn't eat anything while she partied with her famous friends at Exclude. She did, however, knock back several drinks even thought she's only 19. She was so wasted that by the end of the night Edward and Jasper Hale, fellow cast mates, had to help her walk to her car…" I read out loud. The article went on to talk about Rosalie and how she looked gorgeous on the arm of her athletic boyfriend.

I put a hand to my forehead, closing my eyes. Barely two seconds later, I felt Edward pull me into his arms in a hug. I turned and leaned into him, ducking my head into his neck.

I had always been slender, but after everything that had happened over the past couple years, even the past couple weeks, stress had weighed heavily on me. The stress, along with the constant rush I always seemed to find myself in, didn't help me hold on to any of my extra weight.

"I didn't eat at a club that that makes me have an eating disorder? I'm holding your hand- ONLY HOLDING YOUR HAND, Edward! That isn't exactly the same as you leading the stumbling drunk to the car." I muttered into his neck.

"I'm sorry, Bella." I heard Alice say.

"Not as sorry as they'll be for posting that article." Edward growled, clearly thinking up some type of revenge.

I lifted my head just enough to look at him. "No. It's fine, really. I have to get used to it. Besides, if you did something they'd probably accuse you of murder or something." I joked, although there was no laughter in my voice.

"It wouldn't be an accusation." Edward said, truthfully.

"Oh, what, cause you kill people now?" Jasper laughed, munching on his cereal.

"Forget about killing people. What I want to know is when did THIS, happen?" Alice questioned, gesturing to Edward and my embrace.

I smiled and hid my head in Edward's neck again. I felt him laugh and pull me closer, wrapping his arms around my waist. My arms were also wrapped tightly around his waist, but my grip wasn't as strong as Alice's. She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Edward so that I now faced her completely. I couldn't ignore the happy chill that went down my spine when I heard Edward's growl of disapproval. I hushed him with a kiss, only to have Alice tug on my arm again.

"I don't really like that." I told her, matter-of-factly.

"I don't care! I want you to tell me everything." She insisted, her eyes pleading.

"Well…" I said, looking to Edward for help. He merely shrugged and I scowled at him.

"It's nothing special. After you left the room last night, Edward and I, um… talked. We realized we wanted to date each other and he asked me out." I said simply, purposefully making it sound as boring as possible.

I watched Edward's reaction. He and I both knew that it really was something special between us, but I didn't want to share that information. It was something private, between Edward and me, something for no one but us.

"That's it?" Alice asked skeptically.

"That's it." Edward confirmed, squeezing me slightly around the waist.

Alice looked bored with the story and rolled her eyes. "Wow, what a romantic." She told Edward sarcastically.

Edward muttered something about how annoying she was and Alice just stuck her tongue out.

The childish sibling banter was cute and it made me wish I had a brother to fight with. I shook my head, trying to clear those thoughts. It was pointless; thinking about family wouldn't do me any good.

"Hey, are you OK? You look a million miles away…" Edward said softly.

I didn't think any one would notice, but Edward had seen the way my face fell. I shook my head, smiling slightly. "I'm just thinking about what those reporters said. About me being anorexic." I lied.

It wasn't a light subject, but it was a lot easier to talk about.

"Don't worry. Everyone gets it. I'm not even famous, but I've been made fun of hundreds of times for dating Jasper. You know, with my Raggedy Ann hair and all?" Alice joked, tossing her hair around.

Jasper laughed and hopped off the counter so that he could hug Alice. I heard Edward groan when Alice began to kiss Jasper.

"OK, OK. I get it. You're 'sister and tongue- two things that don't go well together'!" Alice said, smirking, quoting a phrase I guessed that Edward had said many times to Alice.

Before they could bicker again, I grabbed Alice's arm, pulling her with me out of the kitchen.

"Where are you two going?" Edward asked, not at all happy with us leaving.

"Yeah, where are we going?" Alice asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe to your room so that I can get some warmer clothes?" I asked, although with Edward's heated glance at the thought of me changing, I suddenly didn't need warmer clothes.

Once we got to Alice's room, she told me to sit while she picked an outfit out for me.

I did as I was told; taking a seat on the funky high-heeled shaped chair that was in the corner of her room. I could have sat on her bed, but the sheets were rumpled and I didn't want to even think about what he and Jasper had been doing in that bed last night.

While Alice went to her walk in closet, I took the opportunity to admire her room.

The walls were a pale cream color and covered with framed black and white photographs. Most of them were pictures of landscapes or various Hollywood hot spots, but there were a few pictures of Alice with her family or friends. The chair I was sitting in and the bedding was purple and she had black drapes that framed a huge window overlooking the backyard.

As I looked around the room I spotted what looked like a family portrait on one of the silver industrial style metal dressers near the closet. I stood up and looked at it. It had to be a couple years old.

Alice, Emmett, and Edward were standing in front of who I guessed were their parents. Their father had green eyes and blonde hair that was going slightly gray at the temples. Rather than look old, it only made him look more distinguished. Their mother was a brunette with brown eyes, and she instantly reminded me of my mother. She was wearing a pearl necklace and matching earrings, looking like a society hostess. Alice looked barely eighteen and her hair was cut into a short bob. It wasn't as fiery red as it was now and she looked like a perfect angelic daughter. Emmett was a lot less muscular and maybe a little on the chunky side. I knew the awkward years I had gone through as a teenager, but focusing on Edward almost made me laugh. Leave it to Edward to look completely confident with goes grown out shaggy hair and facial scruff.

"Quite the family portrait, huh?" Alice said, coming up next to me to look at the picture.

"Did Edward ever have an awkward stage?" I asked curiously.

"Edward? Yeah, right. He thought he was way too cool for an awkward stage." She remarked sarcastically.

"Do you miss them?" I asked nodding my head at the picture.

"My parents?" she asked, looking at the picture. "Yeah, they are great, but I couldn't stand New York. Neither could Edward or Emmett. To live, at least. We were always a close family, but when Emmett got traded to the Los Angeles Kings, Edward and I didn't have to think twice about coming with him. Our parents wanted to come, too, but I don't think they would've liked it. They grew up on the Upper East Side in New York and it's not at all like California. Besides, my dad just retired and they travel a lot anyways."

"What did he do?"

"He was a surgeon. He still works sometimes, if the hospital needs him, but he's slowly starting to take less and less cases. He and my mom have been married for thirty years and yet he still wants to spend more than with her. I'm envious of their relationship." Alice admitted, smiling at the thought of her parents.

"It seems like you've got quite the romance with Jasper, though." I pointed out.

"Yeah. Jasper is amazing. I can only hope that we'll be as lucky as my parents. What about yours? Are they still together?" Alice asked.

I inwardly cringed. It wasn't her fault she asked about my parents, it's not like I had been open about them.

"No, they aren't." I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"It's OK, you didn't know. I just don't like talking about them." I admitted softly.

Alice nodded.

"It's fine, Bella. Some people don't have the best relationships with their parents, it happens all the time." Alice said, trying to be comforting.

I appreciated it, but more than anything I just wanted to change the subject.

"So, what do you have picked out for me?" I asked, gesturing to the clothes in her hands.

"Jeans and a tank top. I figured you'd want something simple." Alice said, offering me the clothes.

The jeans were faded with a hole in one of the knees and the shirt was a simple white tank top with lacy spaghetti straps and lace on the bottom.

"It's perfect, thanks Alice."

"Not a problem, return them whenever. It's supposed to be hot today, but do you want a jacket just in case?" Alice offered.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, I'll just go change real quick and be down in a minute." I said, heading off to the guest room to change.

The jeans were a little loose, but stayed on my hips well enough without a belt.

_So maybe I could gain a few pounds_, I told myself absentmindedly.

I took my time walking down the stairs, taking my time to admire the various family pictures that were hung on the wall along the staircase. Edward, Emmett, Alice, and their parents made such a perfect family.

It was almost painful to look at the pictures, knowing that my family was torn apart. I shook the thoughts from my head. It didn't matter now. I had Edward, and he was more than I could ever hope for.

* * *

_I had fun with this chapter; it came to me more quickly than the others and really encouraged me to work on the next. Unfortunately, I have to take a plane back to school tomorrow, so the next update won't be until Monday night at the earliest. I'm hoping to get Chapter 6 up before I leave tomorrow afternoon. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I must say, I checked my e-mail today and was shocked to find so many subscriptions to my story. I didn't even know you could do that and I'm honored that you would subscribe to my story. Thank you so much! Also, if any of you watch Gossip Girl, you may have noticed that I used two lines room the show in this chapter. Can you guess what they are?  
Always,  
Eden_


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plane ticket that got me to school. What a waste of money…**

**Dirty Pretty Things  
Chapter Six- Edward's Point of View**

The ride to Gilbert's was filled with comfortable silence between Bella and me.

After she was finished changing, I suggested we go out for a late breakfast and maybe the beach. It was a free day for both of us and the idea of just spending it together was the only thing on my mind.

Gilbert's was a small restaurant on Melrose Avenue and one of Alice's favorites. I knew there was the small chance that it might be crowded with photographers, but since it was still relatively early, I hoped that we would avoid them. When I had told Bella that I usually didn't go to breakfast and had to ask Alice for an ideal restaurant, Bella had admitted that she rarely went out to eat and didn't have any preference.

There was something so easy about being with her; she didn't care about going to hotspot where she could be photographed. Instead, she just cared about us being together. I smiled at the thought.

"What's so funny?" Bella questioned suspiciously, smiling.

She was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a tank top and I was dressed similarly in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Just thinking about you." I admitted, reaching to hold her hand. She allowed it and our joined hands rested easily on her lap.

She laughed lightly. "Thinking about me makes you laugh? Is that a good thing?" she joked. I laughed as well, squeezing her hand slightly.

"I was thinking about how you don't care about where we go for breakfast, how it doesn't matter if you get seen or not. Rosalie used to drag Emmett around every weekend in hopes of getting spotted by photographers." I explained.

She looked down at our intertwined hands before looking back at me again.

"Do you wish I was more like that? That I care about wanting to get my picture in a magazine with the 'fan favorite, Edward Cullen'?" she asked, quoting what the host from The View had said at the interview.

I looked at her and shook my head. "I'm… relieved. That's one of the many things that I like about you. It's easy to be with you, Bella. I don't have to go out of my way to please you, which I would be more than happy to do."

"Well, maybe I should be more demanding." She joked, leaning over and kissing me softly on the jaw.

I smiled and I turned my head to kiss her but she pulled away.

"Shouldn't you be driving?" she laughed.

I groaned and turned my attention back to the road.

Three minutes later, as I parallel parked on the street, my frustration was boiling over. It only took ten seconds for me to turn the car off and reach across to pull Bella into a kiss. She giggled and lifted her head to me as we kissed, her hands going to the front of my shirt. I held her face as we kissed furiously.

"Edward." She whispered, pushing against my chest.

I took it as a call to continue, but she pushed more away, this time more roughly. I pulled back and looked at her, confused and hurt. She was shielding her face with her hand.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, reaching for her hands. She nudged her head in the direction of the windshield.

I looked out and found several photographers with their large cameras taking picture after picture of us. I groaned and leaned back against my seat. Looking at Bella, I could see that she was a little embarrassed and maybe even scared.

"Why don't we just head inside?" I suggested.

She nodded and reached for the door, but I stopped her.

"Wait for me to come over and get you. I don't want them pushing you around. They can get a little vicious." I warned.

She smiled at my protectiveness and stayed where she was.

I got out quickly and pushed my way through the photographers.

"How long have you been together, Edward? Is she pregnant?" shouted a photographer.

I clenched my jaw but ignored him. I couldn't stand the paparazzi that thought I'd tell them anything if they were persistent enough. I couldn't even count how many there were. More questions were thrown at me and I seriously considered just getting in the car and driving away. I shook my head, refusing to let them win and scare me into leaving.

I helped Bella out of the car and she instantly grabbed my hand, staying as close to my side as possible. I smiled down at her reassuringly, but I couldn't ignore how scared she looked even though she was trying to hide it by smiling. I lead the way to the restaurant and photographers clicked away, shouting out inappropriate questions. For the most part they gave us space, but as we neared the restaurant, they began jostling for the closest shot.

"You'd think they've never seen anyone go to breakfast before." Bella remarked, smirking.

I opened my mouth to reply but was silenced by what came next.

It happened quickly and I wasn't entirely sure how, but Bella was knocked away from me and sent falling backward by a photographer. I caught her easily and made sure she was upright before turning my anger to the man that ran into her. He had been fighting for position and been pushed into Bella, but his face was smiling.

"What the hell is your problem? You could've hurt her." I growled, making a move towards him.

The photographer sensed just how livid I was and back away, all while taking pictures.

_Son of a bitch_, I thought, fully prepared to punch him for going near Bella.

"It's OK. I'm fine. Let's just get inside." Bella whispered from behind me.

She reached out and grabbed my hand, steering me towards the restaurant doors. I made sure she stayed close to me, shielding her as much as possible with my body. Once we were safely inside, with the doors shut and the photographers locked out, I turned to her completely.

"Are you alright?" I asked, reaching up with my free hand to push her hair behind her ear.

She looked shaken, but smiled. "I'm fine." She insisted, leaning her head into my hand.

"I should've held onto you tighter. I'm so sorry." I told her, beginning to regret coming here at all.

"It's not your fault, Edward. I'm fine. Really. I have my own knight in shining armor around to protect me." She said smiling, leading me as the waiter took us to our table in the center of the crowded room. I requested something more private and he led us to a small booth in the back.

Gilbert's was filled with several famous actors, eating breakfast with their agents or significant others. Mixed in with them were businessmen and even a few families.

I slid into the bench across from Bella, watching her as her eyes drifted around the room. With its bright yellow walls and huge windows that overlooked the restaurant's patio, it was just the happy environment I wanted to be in after everything that had happened outside.

"Thank you for bringing me here." Bella said softly, reaching across the table to hold my hand.

"Not a problem. Any time I have the chance to show you off, I will." I quipped.

She shook her head, laughing. "I can she why Alice likes this place." She remarked. "It's so light and open. I'd much rather be here than the set."

I nodded.

"Six a.m. call times? Laurent's constant screaming? There are a few things I definitely don't miss about work." I admitted.

"Yeah, but I'm looking forward to some of the changes that are being made. You know, people coming back…" she said, her voice trailing off.

She was right, that was a major plus. I was having a hard time imagining work to be the same now that I'd have Bella there with me.

"I don't know if I'll be able to remember any of my lines. Someone might distract me."

"Oh really? Maybe you should avoid that person. Don't let them interfere with your work." She said in mock seriousness.

I glared at her. "No way."

The waiter brought us water and took our orders. I ordered an omelet while Bella, without even looking at the menu, ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato.

"Grilled cheese?" I asked, confused.

"Oh not you, too! I swear, people and their breakfast. Why shouldn't grilled cheese be allowed for breakfast? It's my favorite food!"

"In that case, I'll have to make you one, sometime. How about for dinner?" I teased.

"I probably would eat it. At the nasty diner I used to work at, the only thing I trusted them to cook right was grilled cheese. I never got sick of it either. It's too good." She said earnestly.

_Of course she'd like the easiest meal in the world. _

"Well, in that case, eat all the grilled cheese you want." I told her, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, come on. There has to be one food that you could eat over and over again. Something you could never have too much of?" Bella insisted.

I thought about it.

"Hot dogs." I said.

"Seriously?" she asked, skeptically.

I nodded. "In New York, Alice, Emmett and I used to get hot dogs from street carts. They'd been sitting out for hours in that cart, but that only added to the flavor. Besides, when your parents have a knack for hiring cooks that only made the strangest foods, hot dogs were the obvious choice."

"That's disgusting." She said, laughing.

"This coming from the girl that lived off of grilled cheese from a dirty diner?"

She rolled her eyes. "It wasn't by choice, trust me. You just have to make the best out of what you've got, you know?"

I nodded. I knew that I had lived a privileged life, but now that I thought about it, I really hoped I took advantage of everything I did have. My parents hadn't spoiled me, but at the same time it was hard to imagine struggling to pay the bills or working in a dirty diner.

"What was it like, growing up like that?" I asked, wanting to know more about Bella.

I knew that her and Alice had talked, but I wanted to find out as much as I could about her on my own.

"I didn't grow up poor. Up until two years ago, I didn't even have to carry a job." She admitted, looking uncomfortable.

She seemed to clam up when talking about herself or her past and I was anxious to know why.

"What happened?" I asked softly, moving my thumb in small circles around the top of her hand.

"Are you sure you want to know?" she asked, skeptical at the thought of someone wanting to know about her life.

I nodded, encouraging her to continue. She tried to smile, but I could tell whatever she was going to say was hard.

"When I was seventeen, my parents were killed in a car crash. The other driver had run a red light, speeding. He died, too." She said slowly, looking down at the tabletop.

She reached for her water, taking a small sip before setting it down again. A wave of sadness washed over me. She looked so sad and I couldn't even begin to think of what I would do if I lost my parents.

"Bella…"

"Don't say you're sorry. Please. I'm OK. The first year was really hard, but it's gotten, well, I don't know if I'd say easier, but more bearable."

I reached across the table and lifted her chin so that she was looking me in the eyes.

"You know, Jacob lost his parents and brother in a car crash when he was younger. He used to tell me about how it was difficult to open up to people." I told her.

"Yeah. I know what he means. It's like- no one understands how you're feeling. I remember after it happened, I'd have such a hard time trying to fall asleep at night. Eventually I couldn't, and the only time I managed to sleep was when I passed out from exhaustion. It still gets hard every year, when it's a holiday or near the time that they died. I want to be able to say that I've moved on, but I know I can't. I couldn't afford to keep the house we lived in and had to sell most of their things to pay for the funeral. I just hate to open up and talk about it. I don't like to even think about it." Bella admitted, staring into my eyes.

It all made sense now; her tendency to tense up in unfamiliar situations or shut herself off when the past was brought up.

"Bella, I can't even imagine what it was like for you, but I don't want you to ever shut me out. I want to, no, I need to be there for you. I can't have it any other way." I told her, stroking her cheek.

She smiled and nodded her head. "I'm not used to having someone there for me. It may be hard at first, but I promise not to shut you out." She vowed.

The waiter came with our food and Bella's eyes lit up at the sight of her sandwich. It was only then that we stopped holding hands so that we could eat.

"This is so good." She remarked, looking perfectly content.

She held the sandwich out to me and I took a bite, grimacing.

"Oh, shut up." She said, annoyed.

I laughed, digging into my omelet.

"Want some?" I offered.

"No way. Eggs don't go with grilled cheese."

"Come on. I tried your food, you have to try mine." I told her.

She rolled her eyes and ate the forkful of omelet I gave her.

She shook her head. "It's edible, but it's not a grilled cheese."

I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off by my cell phone ringing. I went to silence it until I saw the caller ID.

"It's Jacob." I said, putting it back in my pocket. I didn't want to interrupt our time together.

"Edward, answer it. Make sure he's alright." Bella insisted.

I pulled the phone back out and hit the answer button. "Hey Jacob."

"Hey, Angela just dropped me off at the club to get my bike. I wanted to let you know that we did what you told us to and talked." Jacob said, his voice sounding gruff and slightly hung over.

"How'd it go?" I asked wearily, hoping for a good answer, but if Jacob had already left Angela, I probably wasn't going to get one.

"I'm fine. Angela isn't. She just doesn't get it. We've been broken up for over a month now. I need to be able to be around her without her freaking out all the time. Anyways, what'd I end up missing last night?" Jacob asked, yawning.

"Well…" I said, looking at Bella. She looked concerned.

"I'm with Bella at Gilbert's right now. I know she wants to check on Angela. Maybe you can come by the house and I'll fill you in?" I offered.

I heard Jacob laugh. "Breakfast with Bella, huh? You work fast."

"It's not like that." I insisted.

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say. Is one too early for me to come by, or will you and Bella be done by than?" he asked.

"That's fine. I'll see you then." I said, hanging out.

"Everything OK?" Bella asked nervously, clearly hoping Angela and Jacob had reconciled.

"Jacob said Angela's upset. I figured you'd might want to go over there?"

Bella nodded. "Of course. Could you drop me off at the studio? I left my car there when Angela was dragging me around yesterday."

I said yes and signaled the waiter for the check.

I reached across the table to grab her hand. "Maybe we could plan something for tonight? After were done with Angela and Jacob?" I asked, already thinking of ways to spend time with her.

Bella smiled and nodded. "Dinner? Some place without the paparazzi?"

I instantly had an idea. "My place? I'll cook. Is seven good for you?"

"It's perfect." She said, leaning across the table to kiss me softly.

It was a quick kiss, Bella didn't seem like a huge fan of PDA, but it still turned me on. It took all my strength not to cancel on Jacob and just take Bella home with me.

* * *

By the time I got to my house it was already a little after one. We had managed to get out of the restaurant and to the car without any more run ins with the paparazzi. Jacob's motorcycle was parked in the driveway and was no doubt waiting inside. As I parked and made my way inside, I wondered how I'd be able to explain myself.

Jacob knew me better than almost anyone. However, he was very much aware of my past. I was not the type to be in a relationship and explaining just how much I cared about Bella might not even seem real to him.

I found Jacob sitting in the living room with Rosalie, watching SportsCenter on the TV.

The living room was sunken and had a large beige L-shaped couch. The coffee table in the center of the room was glass, as was the entertainment center that held the flat screen TV and various electronics. A black fireplace filled with wood was off to the side and the carpet was a darker shade of beige than the couch. Attached to the living room was the kitchen, where Emmett was grabbing a bowl of cereal.

It looked like he and Rosalie had just woken up. He gave a nod when he saw me and went to sit next to Rosalie, who was holding onto a mug of coffee and looking more than a little hung over.

"Where's Alice and Jasper?" I asked, noticing their absence.

"Alice had to get some stuff finished at work for some event tonight and Jasper went to run errands." Emmett said, sounding exhausted. He hadn't been drinking last night, but with his busy off-season training schedule, he was always tired.

"Jacob said you were going to tell him all about you and Bella dating. Really, Edward?" Rosalie asked, as if the idea of Bella and me dating was just some kind of joke.

I ignored her.

"We're together. As of last night." I told Jacob, going to sit on the matching recliner that sat opposite of the couch.

"What brought all this on?" Jacob asked, eyeing me a little suspiciously.

I sighed. I really didn't want to get into it with Rosalie around. She was real bitch when she wanted to be.

"I really like Bella. The studio would send over footage of the show when I was in talks to come back. I saw her and wanted to meet her. Now that I have, we both want to be together."

"A little fast, don't you think, Edward?" Rosalie remarked, sipping her coffee.

She was glaring at me and I fought the urge to snap at her.

"It's fast, how we got together and everything, but we want to take our time with this. She'll be coming over for dinner." I told them.

"I'm happy for you, Edward. It's about time you found a good girl." Emmett remarked, no doubt referring to past habit of flings.

In the past it wasn't about being with as many girls as I could, I just could never manage to put up with one for more than a couple of weeks. Most of the time they only wanted to be seen with me rather than date me anyways. They didn't see me as Edward; they saw me as Greg Manning, bad boy of Dirty Pretty Things.

"I'll second that. Bella is nice, not to mention she's about to be as famous as you. She'll be able to understand what you're going through, unlike the other chicks you've dated." Jacob added, looking genuinely happy for me.

What about you, Jacob? I know there's a certain girl in your life that'd be able to be there for you." I said, trying to shift the conversation to Angela.

Jacob's eyes darkened and he shook his head. "We're through. When we went to talk I had no intention of getting back together with her and I still don't. I love her, I always will, but some things you can't forget."

"Jacob, whatever happened, it's clear that Angela didn't mean…"

"I forgive her, Edward." Jacob interrupted and I could tell that he meant it. "Forgetting is another story."

* * *

_So that took a while to post. Sorry for the wait, the first few days back at school are always a little hectic. I have the next couple chapters outlined, and the next chapter is in the process of being written. Feedback is, as always, welcome and wanted. I hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to Edward and Bella's intimate dinner. I know they got together fast, but it isn't smooth sailing from here.  
Always,  
Eden _


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for feeble excuses for taking forever to update. **

**Dirty Pretty Things  
Chapter Seven- Bella's Point of View**

I couldn't help but notice the way my hands shook as I applied a coat of brown mascara. It was almost seven and I knew that if I didn't hurry, I'd be late. The ride to Edward's would probably only take me about twenty minutes, but I couldn't seem to finish getting ready.

Every time I thought I was ready, I'd look in the mirror and find another thing wrong. My hair was too flat, than it was too big. My face was pale; there were dark circles under my eyes. I knew that I was being hypercritical, but it was hard not to be nervous. Things had been going so well and I didn't want anything to go wrong. Then again, Edward probably wouldn't think the evening was ruined just because my make-up wasn't flawless.

When I had come back to my apartment I took a nap, trying to get over the last of my sleepiness from the late night at the club. When I finally woke up, out of sheer boredom and nervousness, I cleaned. The kitchen, with its' white tile and beige walls, now gleamed. Attached to the kitchen was my living room, where I spent time sweeping the pale wood floors and dusting the glass coffee table. My couch, a red overstuffed build, was doused in fabric freshener. I usually kept my one bathroom and bedroom clean, so I had a lot of free time to do the one thing I shouldn't.

I couldn't help it. It was staring at me from the wooden dining table that sat in limbo between my kitchen and living room, begging me to use it. So I did. I sat at the table and did the one thing I'd never expected to do.

I Google-d myself.

I wasn't being arrogant, but I knew it was foolish to think that I wouldn't find anything. After all, the entire city of Los Angeles seemed to know that Edward and I were dating, even though it had only been a day.

There was only one website on me; a small profile page on IMDB that showed which episodes of Dirty Pretty Things I was credited in, but nothing more. News results were equally as minimal. Besides the blogger's blast that I had seen earlier at Edward's house, there was a simple reminder on a TV guide website that my debut on the show would be coming up.

Relieved, I selected the last option: images. Several photos popped up, most not even being of me. Bella Swan was a simple enough name, providing search results that were unrelated to me.

There were a few promotional episode stills that had been released by the studio with the season premier's date, the show name, and various catchphrases. One was of Rosalie and me in a showdown stance with 'Familiarity breeds contempt' scrawled across the bottom. A photo from the first scenes I'd shot, Angela and myself walking along Sunset Boulevard with cigarettes dangling from our lips and the words 'the brightest stars tend to burn out the fastest' also came up. My favorite was the third and final one released, a still from a scene where Jacob and I were dancing provocatively in a club with the phrase 'new girl in town'. In that scene I had to pretend to be drunk, high, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It had been hysterical to film and had given Jacob and I the opportunity to get to know each other. All three of those photos were fine. It was the candids' mixed in with them that were a little frightening.

Already there were pictures from breakfast. Edward looked gorgeous in his protective stance, shielding me as best he could from the photographers. I was close by his side, looking more than a little intimidated. I would need to remember to bring sunglasses wherever I went with Edward because there were more than a few pictures in which I looked either stoned or cross-eyed. It was those photos that I spent the majority of my time looking at and therefore made me rush to get ready.

After showering, I blow-dried my hair so that it felt long and straight down my back. I dressed in a simple dark blue slip dress by Betsey Johnson that had thin straps and fell mid thigh. It was plain and loose fitting, with a silvery belt that clinched the waist. The dress had been one of my first splurges with my Dirty Pretty Things' paycheck and I was excited to finally wear it out of my apartment. I matched it with a pair of silver sandals that dressed down the outfit.

After getting dressed, I tried calling Angela, but her phone went straight to voicemail. I tried to brush off my worry, figuring she probably wanted some time to herself. Leaving a quick voicemail asking her to call me when she could, I finished getting ready.

For make-up, I amped it up only a little, leaving my face clear, but applying brown and gold shadows to my eyelids. With pale gloss to balance out the eyes, I was content that I didn't go overboard. Studying my reflection, I caught the clock in the background.

6:55.

Swearing softly under my breath, I grabbed my purse and rushed out the door, taking the elevator down to the lobby. Waving to a fellow tenant, I hurried out to the parking lot where my black BMW was waiting.

It had been my father's, the one thing I refused to part with when I had to sell assets to pay the bills. It was only a 2002 model and still worked as if it were brand new. Starting it up I willed myself to stop shaking and breathe. I'd be with Edward soon, a thought that calmed me immensely.

The ride was uneventful and quick despite some traffic on the freeway. It would never cease to amaze me that the typical five o'clock traffic went much later into the night because of the constant flow of people going out to clubs or parties.

I made it to Edward's house in less than twenty minutes and took my time walking up the driveway to the front door. The last thing I needed was to trip and scrap my knees on the walkway.

I knocked on the door softly, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm my nerves. Edward opened the door and before I finished saying hi, he was pulling me into a kiss. His hands went to my waist, pulling me to him as he kissed me deeply. I brought my hands to his chest and moved them upward to wrap around his neck. Standing on my toes to be able to kiss him more, I arched into him. When it felt like I couldn't breathe anymore, whether from his delicious smell or the prolonged kissing, I pulled away just enough to rest my forehead against his.

"Hi." I whispered, a small laugh escaping my lips.

Edward's hands moved to the sides of my head to push my hair away from my face. "Hey," he answered back, kissing me softly on the lips.

I smiled against his lips; my reservations about anything going wrong tonight were quickly leaving my head.

"You aren't even going to invite me in?" I joked, pulling away from him to look at him.

He was dressed in a pair of fitted black jeans and a soft gray v-neck sweater that was worn, but looked perfect on him. His hair still felt a little damp from the shower and I tried to shake the images of him naked from out of my mind.

"Of course. Although, I'm going to have a hard time remembering my manners if you keep dressing like that, he said, his eyes drifting over my body.

I tried to think of an adequate reply, but the only response I could manage was to blush uncontrollably.

He laughed light at my reaction and took my hands in his. "OK, so compliments aren't your thing. I'll try to stop that."

He led me by the hands into the foyer, shutting and locking the door once we were inside.

"It's not that. I actually love your compliments, it's just going to take some getting used to, having someone wonderful saying wonderful things all the time." I replied, hoping I didn't sound as jumbled to him as I did to myself.

"Well, you better get used to it. It's not going to stop anytime soon." he replied, kissing me on the forehead before turning to lead me into the living room.

I had to hold back a gasp at the sight of it.

The lights had been dimmed and candles were placed on the coffee table and the tables beside the couch. In a vase on the coffee table were a dozen daises, along with an array of food in glassware.

"I wasn't sure about the flowers. Roses seemed too conventional, and I know daises are almost like weeds, but…"

"Stop." I interrupted, looking away from the display so that I could lock eyes with him. "All I want is daisies. Don't ever buy me another type of flower again." I reassured him, moving my arms around his neck to hug him.

He look relieved and wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing me close. This was the perfect date. The whole reason we had stayed in was so we didn't have to deal with the overwhelming drama of the paparazzi. It felt so easy, just being alone with Edward, curling up next to him on the couch as he poured me a glass of wine. I sipped it slowly as he fixed me a plate of pasta.

"I'm not the best cook, but try to suffer through dinner, because the dessert is amazing." He smirked, motioning to the platter of fruits and chocolates.

"You know, I usually just skip right to dessert, I must really care about you if I'm eating real food before chocolate."

I took a bite of the pasta, thoroughly enjoying it. I wasn't a very picky eater. That, and I would probably eat worms if Edward fed them to me.

"This is really good." I told him, as we both dug into our pasta.

We were comfortable sitting on the couch, him in the corner and me in the center, my legs tucked underneath me so that I could face him fully. A peaceful silence laid over us as we enjoyed our meal, talking about the little time that we hadn't spent together earlier that day. I admitted to him about my nervous cleaning, but left out the part about me Google-ing myself. He in turn told me about how Jacob, Emmett, and Rosalie now knew about our relationship.

"I tried calling Angela, but it went straight to voicemail. I'm worried about her." I told him, setting my empty plate on the coffee table.

Edward did the same and reached for the platter of chocolates and fruit.

"I've known them both for a while. They love each other, but always seem to get in fights over one thing or another. Usually, they work it out. This time, though, I'm not sure what's going to happen." Edward said, shaking his head.

"Well, there's not much we can do about it right now. And since you're holding my favorite dessert, I don't think I'm going to be able to figure out how we can help them at the moment." I quipped, reaching over to grab a chocolate.

Edward moved the tray away, setting it far away from me on the table. I pouted and he gave me a crooked smile, picking up the piece of chocolate I had wanted. He brought it to my lips and I opened my mouth slightly, only to have him pull it away and eat it himself.

"Haven't you heard of the term 'ladies first'?" I scoffed in mock anger.

"I couldn't resist. You picked the best piece." He laughed, swallowing the chocolate.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, since you love chocolate so much…"

I reached for the tray and grabbed another piece of dark chocolate. Leaning closer to him, I watched as his eyes grew dark, watching me carefully. I brought the piece of chocolate to his lips and held it there. He opened his mouth slowly and I placed it on his tongue, watching him. He took the chocolate, along with the tips of my fingers and sucked on them. I closed my eyes at the sensation and he held my wrist, pulling my fingers from his mouth and kissing the tips before letting go of my hand. I opened my eyes to see him watching me, another piece of chocolate in his hand.

"Wh… what are you doing?" I stammered, his eyes so full of passion that it took me by surprise.

"Your turn." He answered roughly, bringing the chocolate to my lips.

I opened my mouth and brought it in, along with his fingertips as he had done to me. I sucked on them and gently bit the tip of his index finger, our eyes never leaving one another's. He pulled his hand back so quickly I almost thought that I had hurt him.

I didn't have time to ask what he was doing as he nearly tackled me, his lips finding mine as he laid me back on the couch. Every inch of me felt on fire as his hands moved down to grab my hips. My hands went to his neck, pulling him close to deepen the kiss even more. His tongue tied with mine as his hands moved higher up my waist. His thumbs brushed the underside of my breasts and than moved down again. His weight was on me, but rather than feeling crushed, I felt safe and warm. His mouth moved from mine to the column of my throat. He sucked and bit at my neck, leaving a hot trail in his wake.

I was gasping, my hands moving down to feel his chest. He kissed the side of my neck and my knees went weak. I silently thanked God that I was lying down; otherwise I would have probably already fainted. My hands grabbed at his shirt, I was desperate to feel him. They snaked around his back and played with hem of his shirt, lifting it slightly.

He lifted his head from the crook of my neck and watched me with hooded eyes. My gaze never wavered from his as I lifted his shirt higher. We sat up in unison when I came to his arms. He lifted them slowly and I nearly tore the shirt trying to get it off of him. I broke his gaze only to toss the shirt aside so that I was sure I didn't drop it in my nearly full glass of wine.

I almost had to laugh when I saw my glass still full. I didn't have to drink more than one sip with Edward and I was already doing things I would never do sober. To be honest, I wouldn't do them drunk either. No matter how much I drank, it was impossible for me to open up to anyone the way I was opening up to Edward now.

His hands brought my mind back to him as they gently grasped my thighs. I met his gaze and nodded. That was all he needed.

It took him five seconds to lift the dress off my body and leave me in nothing but my lacy maroon boy shorts underwear and a matching black strapless push-up bra. I watch his eyes as they made their way down my body. I reached to pull him into a kiss in hopes of distracting him. I was thin and I knew my body wasn't completely off-putting, but I had a relatively small chest and hips. The last thing I wanted was for Edward to size me up and compare me to the millions of girls that threw themselves at him on a daily basis.

"Stop." He ordered, his voice low and stern.

I looked at him with questioning eyes.

He laid me back on the couch and brought his hands to my hips. They grazed along my sides, one dipping behind me to run along my spine. They met in front at my ribcage, just below my chest. Gently, he moved to cup my breasts through my bra, one in each hand. I closed my eyes, half scared of his reaction, and half-scared of just how truly good his hands felt. I felt him lean close and kiss softly, before moving his lips to my ear. "

You're gorgeous." He murmured, biting my ear softly.

I sighed and moved my hands along his stomach, appreciating every cut in his muscles. He moved his hands to lift me up and reach for the clasp of my bra, but I stopped him.

"Bella…" he nearly growled, his possessive evident.

I smiled softly and sat up, making him do the same. He clearly wasn't happy. I leaned into him, my hands on his chest.

"I want to taste you." I whispered, biting his ear.

I was surprised by my actions, but judging by the way his muscles tensed, I wasn't at all disappointed. My mouth moved along his neck, biting and sucking. I heard and felt him groan as my lips latched on to his Adam's apple. I shifted so that I was now on my knees in between his spread legs. He was leaning back against the couch's arm, but his hands drifted down my spine to grab my butt. I moaned against him and moved my mouth lower, beginning to suck on each new muscle my mouth found on his chest. My movement was slow, but I wasn't aware of my positioning on the couch.

Despite his firm grasp on my butt, Edward couldn't stop me from slipping and falling ungracefully off the couch. I managed to muffle my squeal of embarrassment as I brought my hands to cover my face. My butt was cold against the wood floor and I brought my legs up cover myself. I felt Edward's arms around my waist pull me up and set him on his lap on the couch.

"Are you OK?" he asked, and despite genuine concern, I could still hear laughter in his voice.

I moved my hands from my face and unwillingly met his eyes.

"Was it a sexy fall?" I asked, laughing to myself.

All he could do was nod before bursting into laughter. I joined in, tucking my head into the crook of his neck as he cradled me in his arms.

"I'm glad I amuse you." I mumbled into his neck.

"Baby, I'm sorry, are you alright?" he asked, his laughter dying down.

"I'm fine. My butt hurts now, but I'll live." I admitted, pulling my head from his neck.

His hands moved to cup my bottom and massaged it lightly.

"Is there anything I can do to make it feel better?" he asked, although he didn't sound like he any intention of doing anything but continue to massage it.

"No, I'm OK. I should probably just get going." I said, making to get up.

Edward's arms tightened around me and I could tell by his gaze that he didn't like that idea at all.

"Get going? I think we have some things to finish." He suggested, moving beneath me to make me fully aware of his erection.

I shook my head, using all my willpower to stop myself from kissing him again. I needed to watch out or I'd be rushing to do something I was pretty sure I wasn't ready for yet.

"I know, Edward, the last thing I want to do is leave."

"Then don't," he said, kissing my neck again.

I almost lost my nerve, but managed to push away from him and stood.

"Edward, I'm sorry, but all of this is just so fast. I don't mean to be such a cliché, but I think we should slow down a little." I said, hoping that I didn't just ruin everything we'd been working towards.

Edward watched me, unmoving, and I began preparing myself for him to throw me out. Edward stood and brought his hands to my shoulders, kissing me on the forehead.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go further with you, Bella, but I know we need to take it slow. It's just so hard for me to try and keep myself from you." He admitted.

I smiled softly and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. Edward surprised me by ending the kiss quickly.

"You can't keep kissing me when you're nearly naked and expect me not to react", he said, sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No more kissing."

"I wouldn't go that far, let's just get your dress on first."

He bent down and grabbed it from where he'd tossed it on the floor. I smirked and raised my hands and he laughed, pulling the dress over my head and making sure I was presentable. When his gaze didn't leave my body, I shoved him lightly on the chest.

"Edward." I warned, although there was a playful tone to my voice.

Edward growled again and pulled me close, kissing me hard. After a couple of minutes I finally pulled away.

"I should get going." I reminded him.

"Do you want to meet up tomorrow for breakfast?" Edward suggested, moving my hair from my face.

"I think I'm going to try and track down Angela and see if she's OK. What about dinner again?" I asked.

"Emmett and I were going to go out with some friends to a new bar on Melrose. He claims we don't do enough bonding as brothers. I could pick you up?" he suggested, hopefully.

I shook my head.

"I think I'm going to pass on the chance to be mobbed by your fans, even if it does mean getting to spend some time with you. You know I'm not the best with crowds." I told him, running my hand down his chest.

"So it looks like I'm going a day without you. Will I survive?" Edward asked jokingly, although there was seriousness in his voice that I couldn't ignore.

"You'll be fine. You're the tough one. I'm not sure I'll be all right, though. I'll see you at the read-through on Sunday?" I asked.

The read-through had been scheduled for Sunday night. Despite the promise of having the weekend off, the cast was still expected to come in on Sunday to do a read-through of the script and get an idea of the shooting order for that next week. Since Edward was finally returning to the set of Dirty Pretty Things, he was scheduled to be there.

"Absolutely. I wouldn't miss the chance to find out if Erin will be hooking up with me next." Edward joked; referring to my character's tendency to sleep with whatever guy she talked to in an episode.

"Oh, I hope they pair her with Ryan Anderson again, he is such a good, um… dancer." I joked back, hinting back to the scenes I'd already had to film with Jacob.

Edward's eyes grew dark again, only this time it was in jealousy and not passion.

"I should break Jake's hands for touching you." He threatened.

I knew I should be a little mad, but his possessiveness only turned me on more.

"Edward, if I could, I'd only let you touch me from now on." I whispered.

We met for a brief kiss, but it was getting late and we both knew I needed to get going. Edward walked me to my car and pulled me into one last kiss before opening my car door for me.

"One day. It won't be that bad, right?" I whispered against his lips, before getting into the car and starting the engine.

I hoped I sounded reassured to Edward because as I pulled out of his driveway, the only thing I could think of was how I never wanted to leave his side again.

* * *

_Will I ever be forgiven for taking that long to update? I'm the type of person that hates reading a story only to have to wait months to get a new update and look at what I've done! All I can do is ask for your forgiveness and hope that the promise of much more updates to come will make you a little happy. Also, I'm in the process of pulling together pictures and information on each character and maybe putting it all on a MySpace or some type of website where I can have a page dedicated to more information on the characters. I'm not sure if it's a dumb idea yet or not. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and even the idea of this story having it's own information page. As always, let me know what you're thinking!  
Always,  
Eden _


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